A YORK junior football club is facing misconduct charges following alleged disturbances involving supporters at an under-15s final at Bootham Crescent.

League officials reported Acomb-based York Rovers after their match with Heworth in the intermediate cup final on May 1.

It is claimed a group of about 30 teenagers threw coins and a bottle on to the field, caused damage to the ground's disabled area and invaded the pitch.

Witnesses also say a punch was thrown at a steward as he tried to escort a teenager from the pitch.

It is claimed the teenagers were the same ones who swore and shouted abuse during a final last Wednesday at Bootham Crescent between Oaklands School and Joseph Rowntree School, when referee Dave Scoreby was forced to stop play and threatened to abandon the match unless the trouble stopped.

But Jacky Ryder, secretary of York Rovers, who play on the Oaklands School pitch, said the trouble had nothing to do with them. "We're extremely unhappy about this," she told the Evening Press.

"Those causing trouble were nothing to do with our club at all. We've never had any before.

"The two ringleaders were about 17 years old. These people go to matches to deliberately cause trouble.

"Our kids have worked very hard to get where they are, and it's desperately unfair that we're being blamed."

Mrs Ryder is to appear at two disciplinary tribunals to be held by the York FA and the North Riding County FA to defend her club.

"We will fight it tooth and nail," she said.

Colin Fawcett, president of the York and District Referees' Association, was helping to steward the match.

"I tried to keep the teenagers back, but we just couldn't stop them," he said.

"We gathered up about a pound's worth of change from the pitch and a plastic bottle that had been thrown.

"We won't tolerate this kind of behaviour." Another witness, who asked not to be named, said a punch was thrown at a steward.

"The culprit's parents were in the stand, but never did anything," he claimed.

Bob Grainger, league secretary of the York FA, who attended the match, said the charges against York Rovers related to their supporters bringing the game into disrepute.

York Rovers beat Heworth on penalties to claim the title.

Updated: 10:58 Monday, May 12, 2003